Jacobs Asset Management LLC Buys New Stake in LendingTree, Inc. $TREE

Jacobs Asset Management LLC bought a new position in LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:TREE) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 15,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $643,000. LendingTree accounts for about 0.4% of Jacobs Asset Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest position.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Financial Management Professionals Inc. acquired a new position in shares of LendingTree during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Fifth Third Bancorp acquired a new stake in LendingTree in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. OP Asset Management Ltd acquired a new stake in LendingTree in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its position in LendingTree by 281.0% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,120 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 826 shares during the period. Finally, New York State Teachers Retirement System bought a new position in LendingTree in the 4th quarter worth approximately $54,000. Institutional investors own 68.26% of the company’s stock.

LendingTree Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of TREE opened at $39.00 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $40.06 and its 200 day moving average price is $44.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $544.05 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 2.00. LendingTree, Inc. has a 12-month low of $32.65 and a 12-month high of $77.35.

LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.49 by ($0.11). LendingTree had a return on equity of 17.01% and a net margin of 15.02%.The firm had revenue of $319.07 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $321.32 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.99 EPS. LendingTree’s revenue was up 36.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that LendingTree, Inc. will post 3.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on LendingTree from $70.00 to $58.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 13th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of LendingTree in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Zacks Research lowered shares of LendingTree from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Truist Financial set a $78.00 target price on shares of LendingTree in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $60.00 price target on shares of LendingTree in a report on Friday, May 1st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $66.20.

LendingTree Company Profile

LendingTree, Inc operates an online marketplace that connects consumers with a network of lenders and financial service providers. Through its platform, borrowers can compare loan offers for mortgages, home equity loans, personal loans, student loans, auto loans and small business financing. The company also offers tools for comparing credit cards and deposit accounts, allowing users to research rates and terms from a range of providers in one place.

Founded in 1996 by Doug Lebda, LendingTree pioneered the comparison-shopping model for consumer credit products.